The present invention relates to a system and method for manipulating and processing nanomaterials, micromaterials and picomaterials using holographic trapping.
Nano materials may be generally described as materials and structures characterized as having at least one dimension in the nano-region. These materials have many and various applications. Nano materials include elemental materials e.g. clumps of elemental atoms, such as gold; and more ordered structures such as nanotubes and bucky balls. Nanotubes are hollow symmetrical objects formed of one or more atomic or molecular layers of particular interest are nanotubes made of carbon. Bucky balls are hollow spheres of atomic or elemental carbon. Other examples of nanomaterials and ordered nanostructures are discussed below.
Nanotubes are particularly interesting nanostructures because their extraordinary mechanical, electrical, and optical properties enable a large array of applications. Nanotubes made from carbon offer the high degree of versatility associated with carbon structures, for example, the ability to interface with DNA molecules. Sustained nanotube research for over a decade has created a myriad of successful technologies. Insulating materials impregnated with nanotubes can be turned into conductors. Nanotube-reinforced materials are being developed for their improved mechanical strength. Researchers have grown large arrays of aligned nanotubes for use as electron emitters in displays.
Other applications are envisioned which capitalize on the unique properties of carbon nanotubes. These applications include bulk materials with enormous elastic module, nanotube based electronic components, and structures employing nanotubes for guiding light.
There are widely acknowledged challenges in the development of many of these technologies. One challenge involves the separation or purification of nanomaterials based on structural properties such as clarity, diameter, length, and other properties. Recent progress involving the separation of various species of nanotubes, for example, make use of specific bonding to DNA, or employ electrophoresis. Another serious challenge involves the manipulation of nanomaterials for controlled assembly, deposition, and orientation. Although methods exist for certain types of deposition, the capability to move single objects in three dimensions and to pattern large groups of objects is still lacking.